MMTours Monday Excursion: The Golden Circle + Slættaratindur

A Monday excursion with MMTours will take you on an adventure along “The Golden Circle”. This tour lasts about 10 hours and takes you through some of the best scenery in the Faroe Islands including Saksun, Tjørnuvík, Fossá and Slættaratindur. MMTours makes it really easy on their guests by picking them up at their hotel. If the hotel is out of the way, a very close destination will be provided as a meeting point.

Tórshavn Harbor

The tour begins with a ride out of the capital, Tórshavn, while listening to the voice of your guide. The drivers and guides will always make sure to answer any questions about anything you may have interest in. On this particular day, my guide was Olí Breckman, a very popular and a beloved ex Faroese politician. He is an incredibly intelligent man who uses his charming and witty sense of humor through out the day. No need to be sensitive to his jokes, it is all good fun. He is a perfect example of the Faroese people, loving and humorous, always having a good laugh.

Saksun

Your morning commute will take you amongst some incredible fjords on the way to the first destination, Saksun. There are plenty of stops along the way for photos and even a quick coffee break. Upon arrival at Saksun, you and the other guests have the opportunity to get out of the van and walk around to explore. The village is located in a very large valley beneath some gorgeous mountains.

Tjørnuvík

After free time is finished, you will be on your way to the next stop, Tjørnuvík. There is good reason this town is so often seen in photographs on brochures around the island. It sits beautiful hidden in a cove, home to a gorgeous beach.

Tjørnuvík

Looking into the distance from the town itself, you can see two sea stacks named Risin & Kellingin. They are said to have once been two ogres, a giant and his wife. An ogre can’t survive without sunlight, so when the sun rose they were turned into pillars of rock.

Fossá

After some time in Tjørnuvík, you will make a quit pit stop to check out what is said to be the biggest waterfall in the Faroes, Fossá. It is nearly impossible visit a place like the Faroe Islands without witnessing hundreds of waterfalls trickling down from the surrounding mountains and cliffs. You will see many through out the excursion, but none other like this.

Slættaratindur

Following Fossá, you have an option; Continue with the majority of the group to Gjógv for a stroll around the beautiful village with lunch, or hike to the top of the highest mountain in the Faroes, Slættaratindur. I highly suggest paying the extra fee and taking your lunch with you to the top of this stunning mountain. The lunch is either a smoked salmon or chicken sandwich. I ate the smoked salmon everyday and can admit that I never became tired of it. How can you go wrong eating smoked salmon in the Faroes whilst being surrounded by jaw dropping views?

Slættaratindur

You will be accompanied by a local guide that will be with you for your every step. I would mark the hike as medium in difficulty. The trail itself is not difficult, but if you aren’t in good shape it will be very tough as the path leads you up the entire time. The guide, Olá, did a great job and made the hike a lot of fun. He is an ex-Danish marine who is very polite and well mannered. He had been sailing for the last 6 months leading up to the time period of my visit. He worked especially hard to accompany some of the others who were having some trouble going up the hill and made sure to give them plenty of time for rest.

Slættaratindur

I jumped ahead of the rest of the group as I did not want to wait, rather take photos, but the hike will typically take about an hour for most. Upon completion and arrival at the summit, you will be overwhelmed with some of the most pristine views in the Faroe Islands. Fjords, lush valleys, rivers, mountains, ocean, rocks, sheep and of course fog rolling over the rest of the area.

SlættaratinduroverlookingTjørnuvík

From one point of the flat platform at the top, you can look over the ocean and the town of Tjørnuvík that you had previously visited.

Slættaratindurridge

The other point looks over a gorgeous mountain ridge that makes a perfect subject for photos. Each inch of the platform delivers incredible views into the jaw dropping landscape, especially on a clear day.

Hiking Slættaratindur

After enjoying your lunch atop the mountain, engulfed by some of the best scenery you have ever laid eyes on, it is time to go back down. The trek down is a little bit more difficult than the one going up. Take your time, and don’t rush. After a while, it becomes easier to stop following the path and take a direct line down the hill using the grass as a sponge. The bus and the rest of the tour group will be waiting at the bottom of the hill for you with one of the best things that MMTours provides, some local beer.

Black Sheep was my favorite, but Slupp is delicious as well. The what I like to call, “celebration beer” is a great touch that not enough tour groups provide. It only adds some light and happiness to a tour and is always very refreshing after a hike.

Norðadalsskarðscenic view point

The day concludes with another ride through the amazing landscape of the Faroes with more commentary provided by Olí or another guide based on availability. Make sure to ask Olí some questions about the Faroese culture, politics or religion. He is always happy to answer and can provide some incredible feedback. After you have had your fill of riding back to Tórshavn, it is time to be dropped back off where you started. Don’t forget to book your tour for the next day if you didn’t get the package deal! The Tuesday excursion to Mykines is one you cannot miss!

If the pictures didn’t do enough for you, take a look at our video of “The Golden Circle” and Slættaratindur

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